l8o BOARD OF AGRICULTURE, [Jan., ' 



tell how the farmer can be paid a fair compensation for pro- 

 ducing that kind of an article that is just what we want to 

 know. I say that the poorest paid man in all the world of 

 those that labor anywhere within five hundred miles of the 

 city of New York is the farmer. Within the last few years 

 he has been compelled to pay a great deal more for his help. 

 Twenty-five dollars a month for a farm helper, with his board, 

 is about as low as you can expect to get help, and the price of 

 milk is going down instead of up. Can you tell us. Professor 

 Van Slyke, how to meet that situation ? 



Prof. Van Slyke. I am not enough of a statesman to 

 say. 



A Member. I noticed in the Professor's paper that he 

 spoke about a standard. That is one of the hardest things 

 for the farmers to agree upon. I think there are certain 

 kinds of flavor that we agree upon, but there is a great varia- 

 tion of opinion as to what is good milk. 



Dr. Wright. It strikes me that it is somewhat a matter 

 of local health regulations, 



Mr. CoMSTOCK. In connection with the scoring of butter 

 and cheese there is no legalized standard. That is simply a 

 custom that is agreed upon, and that prevails between the 

 buyer and the seller. In some cases I do not imagine it 

 would be practicable to lay down any legal standard as to such 

 a variable and frequently intangible thing as flavor. Tastes 

 difiFer, of course. 



In regard to the question that the chairman suggested, I 

 may say that that is one of the serious difficulties that con- 

 front the milk producer. I am not a specialist in those things, 

 or in that particular phase of the subject. At the same time, we 

 all know that there are consumers of milk who would like a bet- 

 ter quality, and who would be willing to pay for it if they were 

 assured that they were getting a quality of milk that was 

 better in character than any old thing that they are likely to 

 get. On the other hand, there is opportunity for education. 



